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Martial Arts Dance Fusion Class,

Featuring the Chinese Martial Arts Fan,

Coming to Marblehead School of Ballet’s Celebrated Summer Dance Intensives

--The ballet school’s summer dance intensive presents a special Martial Arts Dance Fusion class taught by international gold medal winner Leda Elliott.--

(Marblehead, Massachusetts; June 9, 2025) – Dance, exercise, and have fun this summer at the North Shore's Marblehead School of Ballet (MSB), located at 115 Pleasant Street in Marblehead, Massachusetts. This cultural hub has an enriching line-up of classes for people of all ages and levels to expand their arts and dancing toolkit. The Marblehead School of Ballet's renowned Summer Dance Intensive takes place from July 7 to July 26, 2025 and the Young Dancers’ Summer Intensive runs from August 4 through August 8. The school’s Summer Session for people of all ages runs from June 23 to August 16, 2025.

"The seasoned and avocational dancer will find high quality, professional training at Marblehead School of Ballet. We work with each person to assess individual dance and exercise goals! During July, our Summer Dance Intensive offers the new, unique class -- Martial Arts and Dance Fusion -- blending expressive dance with martial arts-inspired movement with the use of Chinese martial arts fan. This dramatic and empowering prop used in performance traditions will expand our students’ knowledge of dance," said Director Paula K. Shiff, who trained at the Boston Ballet School and performed with the Boston Ballet Company.

Dancer and Martial Arts Master to Teach in Summer Intensive

This summer, martial arts master Leda Elliot returns to the MSB to teach the class, Martial Arts and Dance Fusion, featuring the Chinese martial arts fan in the Marblehead School of Ballet’s Summer Dance Intensive. Students will explore precise stances, sweeping gestures, and stylized choreography rooted in Chinese Wushu. The pace is focused and intentional, helping dancers develop presence, coordination, and expressive strength.

“This is not your usual dance class. Inspired by Chinese martial arts, we will use a fan—not soft and floaty, but sharp and bold. Learn to move with purpose, create dramatic shapes, and channel inner strength through stillness and flow. It is low-impact but powerful—and it will leave a mark,” explained Elliot, the founder of A Thousand Cranes Studio and creator of QiFlow: The Five Seasons Method.

Elliot brings to MSB extensive studies, performances and competitions in dance and the martial arts of Chinese Wushu, as well as the healing arts of Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Reiki. Under Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark from the Chinese Wushu Research Institute and Tai Chi Arts Association, she trained in competitive modern Wushu and traditional Wudang Tai Chi. She also studied dance at The Ballet Arts of Carnegie Hall in Japan under Aiko Ohtaki, one of the first females to teach ballet in Japan, and at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts.

Summer Dance Intensives

The Marblehead School of Ballet invites dancers to apply to the school's renowned Summer Dance Intensive for dancers, ages 11 to adult. Students may sign up for one, two, three, or a combination of weeks. During the first two weeks, individualized instruction is provided in ballet, modern technique, Pointe, and variations, as well as in the related disciplines of jazz, Pilates, and more. Choreography will be the focus of the third week.

The Young Dancer's Summer Intensive is open for youngsters, ages eight to twelve and over, from all dance levels. This intensive offers classes in ballet technique, improvisation, stretch and strength, rhythm, storytelling through movement, anatomy and more. Students receive individualized attention customized for their personal development. The Summer Intensives are sponsored in part by The Ruth N. Shiff Memorial Fund, which provides support for guest teachers and dance resources.

Summer Session

During the Summer Session, children, tweens, teens, adults, and seniors will find something of interest in Marblehead School of Ballet’s open classes in pre-ballet, ballet, pointe, stretch and strength, Ballroom/Latin, West Coast Swing, and Argentine Tango. For children, classes are offered in pre-ballet, child ballet, and creative movement. The partner dance series provides Ballroom/Latin, West Coast Swing and Argentine Tango classes for ages twelve and up.

Registration

As in-studio space is limited, students are encouraged to register now. The Summer Dance Intensive and the Summer Session programs will be held at 115 Pleasant Street in the historic, scenic coastal town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Students may register for the complete Summer Session or attend on a rolling basis. Visitors and tourists to the North Shore are welcome to attend and take an open class. Details about the schedule and registration for the Summer Dance Intensive 2025 may be found online. Registration is now being accepted for the Summer Session.

For further information about the Summer Dance Intensives and the Summer Session, call 781-631-6262 or send an e-mail.  

About Marblehead School of Ballet

The Marblehead School of Ballet, founded in 1971 by Paula K. Shiff, has earned a wide reputation for the excellence of its training and integrity of purpose. Classical ballet forms the core of teaching with particular emphasis on correct alignment and development of strength and agility. The sheer pleasure of dance and music is always central to the classroom experience.

The basic graded program for children includes classes in ballet technique with advanced work in repertoire and pointe. The school also offers a modern dance department, classes for young children in creative movement and classes in improvisation and technique for the older student. A full range of adult classes is offered. For further information about the Marblehead School of Ballet, call 781-631-6262, send an e-mail or visit the ballet school's website. Follow MSB on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) @MSB_ballet.

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